2022 Michel Bélair "Hommage à Daniel Friederich" CD/IN

This 2022 Michel Bélair "Hommage à Daniel Friederich" is a classical guitar with a cedar top and Indian rosewood back and sides, made in Montreal, Canada, after Daniel Friederich's 1999 guitar No. 763 – pre-owned, in excellent condition.

An Homage to Daniel Friederich

Few makers changed the modern classical guitar as much as Daniel Friederich, whose craft over six decades redefined the traditional concert instrument. This "Hommage" guitar is Michel's tribute to him.

Built After Friederich No. 763

Its source is Friederich No. 763 of 1999, a late-period guitar in Michel's own collection. Michel also has a copy of the notes Friederich wrote while building it, giving him exact figures – wood densities and more – that would otherwise be lost.

A master-grade Western red cedar top, aged 15 years, was chosen to match the original in density and grain spacing (the color matched too, by luck), bringing its deflection and frequency close to Friederich's. Faithful to the original, the Indian rosewood sides are lined with a mahogany lamination and the neck is Honduran mahogany. The carved headstock, purflings, rosette and inlays all follow the original faithfully, and Rodgers tuning machines complete it, as on Friederich's guitars.

Sound

The voice is velvety and silky, with rich basses and thick trebles, and the guitar responds with plenty of power. Notes sustain beautifully and fade in a linear, predictable way, which keeps it balanced and consistent across the whole dynamic range.

Condition

Although a second-hand guitar, it is in excellent condition, with only very minor wear in the finish.

Michel Bélair: A Concert Guitarist Turned Luthier

Michel Bélair is a Canadian luthier based in Montreal. He developed his passion for the guitar in his early teens, which eventually led him to study guitar at McGill University, where he earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in guitar performance under the tutelage of Alvaro Pierri. He then studied with Roberto Aussel in Paris. Michel has excellent skills as a player – his playing has been recognized with prizes and awards at various international classical guitar competitions – and he fully understands the perspective of the instrumentalist, which has had a big influence on his work as a guitar maker.

Two Original Friederich Guitars

As a performer, Michel played two original guitars by Daniel Friederich (no. 557 and no. 763), and both of his teachers, Alvaro Pierri and Roberto Aussel, also played Friederich guitars for most of their careers. This long-term exposure to – and appreciation of – Friederich's instruments inspired Michel to develop his "Hommage à Daniel Friederich" model. He also builds his own traditional and double-top models.

GSI and the "Hommage" Model

Michel pays particular attention to the decay and overall sustain of the sound. GSI is proud to be the exclusive dealer in the USA for Michel's "Hommage à Daniel Friederich" model.